a Primal Pursuit

seventy six

The water grew with intensity the more I concentrated on the treeline.

I didn't like it.

I could feel the warning from the elements, feel their intensity.

Without pondering another moment, I turned and jumped from the waterfall. My body collided with the lake, and I allowed it to pull me under. I rolled and tumbled, getting caught in the waves. I didn't feel scared though, somehow knowing the lake would not choose to drown me. She was my friend, after all.

My back scraped across the sandy bed, and I winced as a rock cut into my skin. After being thrown into the wall, I quickly forgot about the sharp sting of the cut. I grunted with irritation but realised she had thrown me from the currents into the gentle waves of the rock-face. Shooting her a displeased glare, I pressed my palms into the dark rock before pulling myself upward.

Surfacing was turbulent, and I clutched onto the slimy rocks as I caught my breath. I was behind the waterfall now, my chest heaving with adrenaline. It was loud, the crashing of water drowning out most of the shouts from Sebastian. I took a moment to catch my breath, my eyes running along the dark stone.

"Luna?" He hollered, closer to me.

"I'm fine!" I screamed back. "Just having a minute."

Nothing caught my attention at first, the shiny brown stone like every other time I scaled the rocks. But then I noticed a carving, one that had been so hidden as it sat right along the edge of the waterfall. The disturbance threw the wave line off balance and revealed the cream coloured words.

I narrowed my eyes, pressing my palms into either side of it to steady my eyeline. A chilly breeze wafted from the waterfall, goosebumps pebbling on my skin. Signs of warning came from all around me as I gently mumbled the words aloud.

"Trust your instincts."

Trust my instincts?

What a random thing to carve into the stone.

It didn't look old either, the edges still sharp and unworn from the waves. It was perfectly hidden, as though only to be discovered at this very moment.

The waves crashed against the rock, splashing higher and then receding lower, and it was at that moment that I glimpsed it.

The rose.

A small, dainty rose was carved into the wall, with only a few simplistic petals. The thing that stood out most to me were the sharp and deeply engraved thorns. The artist put more effort into engraving the thorns than the petals.

Trust my instinct.

Someone intended this for me.

"Luna? You coming out now?"

Sebastian's' voice snapped me to his attention, and I peered through the waterfall to see him stood on the nearest edge. I was glad I had told him I was okay, because I was certain he would come in. I cleared my throat, answering with a yes and hoping he heard before I turned my back to the wall. Crouching down with my feet pressed to the rock, I pushed myself around the waterfall.

I saw his shoulders physically sag with relief as I swam to the shore, and plastered a sarcastic smile on my face to hide my worry.

"Get hot?" I wondered, poking his shoulder.

He scowled at me, pulling his shirt back on. "I thought you drowned. I was ready to come in there!"

"Sorry for worrying you," I smiled softly. "It was turbulent under there, but I handled it. I'm a fish, remember?"